Red Curls
by Someone aka Me
Summary: Percy/Oliver. 10 drabbles about their relationship for the Drabble Collection Challenge on HPFC. "It's not much neater than their first kiss, and it's raw and fierce, but it's them – clashing all the way."
1. Skin

**__**I own nothing. For the Drabble Collection Challenge. Prompts are the chapter titles.

_**Skin **_

When Lila Johnson, arguably the best looking girl at Hogwarts, flounces past Oliver with far too much skin showing, Oliver's finally convinced that he is most certainly not straight. If that does nothing for him, obviously no girl ever will.

He's not really surprised, to be honest. He may only be fourteen, but he's kissed the neighbor girl before. And her brother. Lila just settled the matter once and for all.

She flounces past again, still wearing a tank-top and a skirt that are both short enough to leave, well, not much to the imagination, and Oliver gets the vague impression that she might actually be trying to get _his _attention. He looks around. Nope, he's the only one out by the Black Lake today besides her.

He frowns. She's three years above him – a seventh year. Why on Earth would she be trying to catch _his _eye?

He shrugs and packs up his books. Too bad for her.


	2. Broken Bone

Warning: One swear word.

_**Broken bone **_

They're fifteen, and this is their year. Oliver's finally Quidditch captain, Percy's a Prefect, and everything seems to be going their way.

And then, in the match against Slytherin, everything seems to go wrong all at once. The world seems to slow down as Oliver is hit in the stomach with a Bludger. He flips off his broom, through the goalpost, and tumbles down to the sand below. Something icy cold runs through Percy.

He doesn't remember making his way to the field, but apparently he did. All he can seem to think is _'__Nonononono.__'_ That, and _'__Not __Oliver. __Please, __Merlin, __not __Oliver.__'_

He turns out fine, in the end. A broken leg, but Madam Pomfrey can fix that in an instant. So the injuries are healed, but Percy can't un-realize what he realized as he watched Oliver fall. His blood ran cold, not just because losing Oliver would mean losing his best friend. His blood ran cold because losing Oliver would mean losing the person he's in love with.

And that realization actually makes Percy swear, internally. He can't seriously be in love with his best friend, can he? Is he really that cliché?

It seems, in fact, he is.

'_Well, shit.'_


	3. First

Warning: Alcohol

_**First**_

Their first kiss isn't pretty, by any means. For once, Oliver was able to coax the Head Boy into having a drink. They're of age now, after all. He forgets, sometimes, just how poorly Percy holds his liqueur. And, as always at Gryffindor celebrations, one drink leads to another, which leads to another.

When Oliver tries to help Percy up to his bed, Percy barely manages the stairs. Eventually, the stumbling pair makes it all the way up to the seventh year dorms, which are, of course, all the way at the top.

Percy flops into bed, unceremoniously dragging Oliver with him. Oliver, who wasn't expecting the move, is stunned even further at suddenly finding Percy's lips on his.

He freezes briefly, before pulling away.

"Percy, you're drunk," he states.

" 'M not," Percy mumbles.

"You are. Sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

Oliver isn't used to being the sensible one. Frankly, he hates it. All he really wants to do is kiss Percy back. But he knows he can't. They can't start a relationship drunk – all that would do is screw up the friendship that they have.

Sober, they might, _maybe_, have a chance.


	4. Blink

_**Blink**_

Percy wonders, vaguely, somewhere in the back of his mind, if they're honestly doing this, if they're honestly having a staring contest. It seems so… _childish_. Still, Oliver refuses to back down because he wants an answer, and Percy refuses to back down because he doesn't want to answer, so they're at a stalemate.

Percy's eyes are watering, but he stubbornly denies them. He will not lose.

Still, Oliver's just as stubborn, and the fact is, Percy's a blinker. Always has been.

"Ha!" Oliver crows in triumph. "You blinked!"

"Did not!" Percy tries to protest, but it's fruitless. He knows he's beat.

"You did, Perce, and you know it! Just answer the question! Honestly, why are you dating Penny?"

Percy looks down. He doesn't want to answer, because he knows his answer isn't the right one. Because, honestly, he started dating Penelope as some last ditch effort to convince himself that he's into girls. All it's done is convince himself of the exact opposite.

Which is nothing against Penny, of course. For lack of a better way to say it, it's nothing to do with her. Percy's just bent as a boomerang, apparently. Which is surprisingly okay with him. And, really, it should've been quite obvious when he fell in love with his very male best mate two years prior.

Still, Percy felt, as always, that he had to be absolutely sure before jumping into anything.


	5. Answer

_**Answer**_

The question still lingers between them. So does the memory of the night before. Percy has only a fuzzy recollection of kissing Oliver and Oliver pushing him away. It's why he really, _really _doesn't want to tell Oliver that he and Penelope have been fake dating since the end of sixth year – after Penny woke up from being Petrified.

At that point, Percy felt like he had to tell her. So he stumbled through an awkward conversation, but by the end, Penelope understood that Percy was definitely not into girls.

It was actually Penny's suggestion that they continue the charade. Her parents, apparently, very much approved of people like Percy, with an appreciation for the rules. Penelope, however, had her eye on another boy – one her parents most definitely wouldn't approve of. So Percy agreed to let Penelope use him, in exchange for using her. Penny got her take-home boyfriend, and Percy got to pretend, at least for a little bit longer, at least to everyone else, that he was straight.

"I'm not," he finally murmurs in answer. Oliver looks confused, so Percy elaborates. "I'm not dating Penelope. I haven't been, not for almost a year. Not since she was un-Petrified last year."


	6. Sun

_**Sun**_

Oliver can't seem to comprehend. He traces absentminded patterns in the sunlight streaming in through the window, just for something to do with his hands. Finally, he speaks.

"Then… why are you pretending?"

"Penelope needed a boyfriend to show off to her parents, and… Well, I'm just an idiot, really. I was trying… I was trying to ignore the fact that I'm in love with you." Percy says the last part all in a rush, and he's looking down.

Oliver's quiet. Finally, Percy looks up through his lashes. Oliver has a stunned look on his face.

"Ol?" Percy asks hesitantly. He hopes to Merlin that he hasn't just lost his best friend.

Oliver blinks. Percy is shaking now.

Suddenly, Oliver is in Percy's lap with his lips on Percy's. It's not much neater than their first kiss, and it's raw and fierce, but it's them – clashing all the way.


	7. Open

_**Red**_

Oliver smiles at the red curls splayed across the pillow of their new flat. As much as Percy hates his hair, Oliver loves it.

He savors the peace of this moment. He hates that Percy had to fight with his family before he finally moved out of his childhood home, but he loves that it leaves them here together. They've been dating for over two years, after all.

He can tell, though, that Percy's still not entirely confident in who he is. Whenever they're in public, Oliver goes from boyfriend to roommate in no time flat. It was Percy who insisted that the flat be a two-bedroom. Oliver couldn't care less. As far as he's concerned, people will be people, and there will always be stupid people. Oliver's always been of the mindset that, if people want to talk, let them.

But Percy cares an awful lot about what people think. It's partly because his job, Oliver knows, because as Junior Assistant to the Minister, bad press could get Percy fired. Still, there're times when Oliver wishes that Percy thought he was worth the risk.


	8. Eye Rolling

_**Eye rolling**_

Percy wakes up to find Oliver staring at him – again. He rolls his eyes.

"You have an absurd obsession with watching me sleep, Ol."

Oliver smiles shamelessly. "You look peaceful when you sleep. I like it."

"It's weird. Honestly, it could be taken as creepy, if I were so inclined."

"But it's not, and you know it."

Percy smiles. "I suppose."

Oliver, who's been propped up on one elbow, leans down and presses a kiss on the top of Percy's head – right on his red curls.

"Love you, Perce," he murmurs. It's not the first time he's said it, and it won't be the last.

"Love you too, Ol," Percy replies softly.


	9. Too Quiet

_**Too quiet**_

It's too quiet. It's too quiet in the flat that used to hold two people. Oliver's very presence is so _loud_. Without him here, taking up space, it just feels empty.

Percy flops gracelessly on the couch, cursing himself over and over for being an idiot. First he drove away his family, but, as if that wasn't enough, now he drove away the man he loved – loves – with all his heart.

He curses himself for being stupid. He curses himself for being ambitious, for wanting too much.

He wants to curse Oliver, too. For leaving, for abandoning Percy. But he can't, because, frankly, he knows it's his own fault. He's lucky that Oliver stayed as long as he did, watching Percy work himself to death, leaving nothing left for Oliver.

He swears loudly, just to break the silence. It feels oddly satisfying, given that he so rarely does.


	10. Late

_**Late**_

They catch each other's eyes from across the Great Hall. A battle is being waged between them. Percy eyes burn with rage – he really, really, _really_ wants to find Rookwood and get revenge for Fred. Seeing Oliver, though, it does something to Percy. It always does.

They meet in the middle, spells flying all about.

"You're late," Oliver says. Percy grins wryly.

"I got the news a little late," he says.

Suddenly, a chilling voice echoes around them. Voldemort commends them for their bravery, and orders his forces to retreat for one hour. Percy and Oliver simultaneously sigh with relief as Death Eaters begin to trickle out the doors.

They stare at each other awkwardly for a moment before Percy throws his arms around Oliver and kisses him soundly.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I was an idiot, and I'm sorry, and I will spend forever making it up to you, if you'll let me. I love you."

"Perce, are you aware that we're in public?"

"I don't care," Percy says firmly. "I'm done hiding. I love you too much to keep that a secret, and I was stupid to try."

The knot that's been building in Oliver's chest since the beginning of their covert relationship so many years ago loosens abruptly.

"I love you too, Perce. I love you too," he murmurs into the mass of red curls.


End file.
